


No Hiding Place

by dracox_serdriel



Series: Trials of Hell and Heart, or Season 8 Fan Fiction [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 08, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angels are Dicks, Anything lost returning to you, Battle in Heaven, Brainwashing, Comfort, Comfort in Purgatory, Dean/Cas Big Bang Challenge 2013, Defeat, Episode: s03e15 Finkelman's Folly, First Kiss, Forgotten Memories, Fountain of Heaven, Garden of Heaven, Gates of Hell, Gen, M/M, Marching on Hell, Monster Army, Monster mash, Purgatory, Railing at the Night, Rallying against the King of Hell, Revelation is a Bitch, Revenge, Revenge against Crowley, Rogue Angels, Slow Burn, Soul reflection, The Lost Returned, Torture, Vampires, djinn, escape artist, mindfucking, trench coat, vengeance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 09:37:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/990490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracox_serdriel/pseuds/dracox_serdriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Winchesters face the completion of the Third Trial and Castiel's capture by Naomi. While Sam and Dean recruit a rogue angel and make a daring moving to rescue Cas from Heaven, Crowley marshals the full force of Hell into a single army with one soul purpose: defend the Gates of Hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Build a Wall

Ellie screamed, and her voice echoed throughout the barricaded basement of the safe house. Dean's yell joined hers, creating a chaotic chorus that rent Sam's attention. It was all he could do to concentrate on the spell. 

All the noise cut out. For a moment, Sam wondered if he'd gone deaf, but then he realized that the clock no longer clicked forward. Time froze, or reversed, or curled up in a ball to cry. Whatever the case may be, Sam Winchester was alone in this moment. His consciousness transcended his body, and his thoughts were free to roam.

The spell was working. 

It wasn't a list of Latin words. It wasn't a lit match thrown down. The spell consisted of a strategic application power to Ellie's soul, forcing it to slough off its outer casing then to regenerate a new shell. To reduce the chance of implosion, the individual purging the soul funneled everything into a literal moment in time - a millisecond.

Sam tapped Dean's soul for power, then Ellie's soul, and he felt the entire universe around him. His mind recognized the newness of his consciousness opening as souls pulsated in his hands. The high was maddening and euphoric and filled his blood with a new radiance – 

The screaming was back, just for an instant. Then blackness swallowed him whole.

 

Castiel's vessel bled copiously; Naomi did not bother to heal injuries as she went. Castiel sustained horrific injuries to his true form, his true self.

Gideon had long been used to the savagery of war. He had even calloused himself towards the nature of torture, though he avoided participating in such things. Yet now, seeing his brother's vessel and true form disfigured so violently, and with so much enjoyment, Gideon questioned his own resolve.

One of the angel's true eyes was obliterated. Naomi had burned and slashed all four of his faces, and she had disfigured every feature of his true-form body. Gideon could sense Castiel's agony by sight alone. 

The Angel Tablet had a will of its own; any angel to touch it would have reacted exactly as Castiel had. Did it really incur such horrible wrath?

Gideon swallowed his question.

"Naomi," he said.

"Good news, Gideon," Naomi said. "Castiel did not give the Angel Tablet to the Winchesters. He didn't even tell them where he hid it. He is the only living creature that knows where the tablet is now."

"Excellent. Would you like me to inform the others?"

"Yes, please," Naomi said happily, as if her hands were not covered in Castiel's blood. "Do you have anything to report?" 

"Yes," Gideon replied. "The Archangel Metatron is on the move. Permission to go to earth to collect data myself?"

Naomi considered the suggestion, her eyes exploring Castiel's mangled, barely-living body. 

"Granted," she said. "But be quick."

Gideon bowed and disappeared. 

He was a warrior, but even he had his limits. His movements were careful and precise as he reached out to Matthon, Nathaniel, and the dozen or so other rogue angels that he knew walked the earth. Perhaps one of them would help their lost brother.


	2. End to End

Sam said the spell, "Kah na ahm darr."

Heat and electricity amped up under his skin. His eyes turned blinding white, then back to their normal hazel. All feelings of malaise disappeared. 

Dean pulled his brother up from the floor. Sam spotted Ellie on her back. 

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Dean replied, "just sleeping."

"You mean unconscious?"

"No, I mean sleeping," Dean said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "She got up and told me she needed some water. She drank. She fell asleep."

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, sure, just, let's never do that shit again, okay?"

"Here's hoping."

Sam walked over to Ellie. "Can you give me a hand here Dean?" he asked.

"With what?"

"Moving her upstairs."

"You?"

"Us."

"Sam, yesterday you were coughing up a lung – "

"That was before I completed the third trial," Sam dismissed. "So come on. Let's go."

They carried Ellie up the stairs and placed her on the couch.

"We should probably take her somewhere safe until we've finished everything," Sam suggested. "You think she'd mind sleeping in the back seat?"

"You want to leave right now?" Dean asked. "Seriously? You just rung out my soul, my legs are slowly becoming like jelly."

"I'll drive. We can use Garth's safe house boat. He's moved it to Michigan."

"Sam, what's – "

"The harm in waiting? Let's see. Whoever has Castiel might be figuring out if he's useful or not. If he's not, they'll kill him. If he is, they're probably screwing with his head as we speak. Good enough reason?"

"Fine!" Dean blurted. "But if you crash – "

Sam smiled. "Don't worry, I won't."

"Let's pack up first. Maybe she'll be awake by then," Dean said as he went back downstairs for the bags.

 

 **Salt Lake City, Utah**. Metatron appeared in an alley; he scared the resident homeless person, who didn't expect anyone to teleport into his corner. 

"Sorry," Metatron said curtly as he marched out to the street. He ducked through a line of people and bunched in at a bus stop, hoping to avoid detection. 

Too late. Someone was right behind him. He darted into another odd corner and teleported – but he couldn't. He felt embarrassed and furious at the same time – 

"Hey there," a woman said. 

Metatron didn't recognize who it was, but she wasn't human. 

"Who're you?" he asked. "I'm armed."

"Like a nuclear bomb," Lachesis replied. "Don't worry brother, I'm not here to chase you. I came to warn you that Naomi's got her best bounty hunters on you right now."

"Why would you warn me?" Metatron asked suspiciously. 

"Enemy of my enemy," she replied briskly.

"You're an angel?"

Lachesis smiled and ignored his question. She said, "The Winchesters told her about you. Where you were. In exchange for some help on their little adventure."

"The Winchesters? Humans? Why would they talk to Naomi – "

"Because while the Winchesters are human, they're not just people. They're the ones – "

"Doing the trials. I've met one of them."

"He set you up in a safe house?" she asked. "Because that's what he told Naomi. Apparently he needed a few angels on his shoulder and offered you up in trade."

"Why can't I teleport?" Metatron demanded.

"I couldn't very well let you go without telling you what I knew," she replied. With a wave of her hand, she broke the sigil opposite her; Metatron felt his power restore immediately.

"I'll be heading to the Southern hemisphere; I suggested you go somewhere else," she said quietly. "Divide and conquer."

And she vanished. 

Metatron focused on resonance. If the Winchesters were doing the trials, he could hone in on them easily enough –

Metatron took evasive action.

 

 **Ludington, Michigan**. Garth's very own _Fizzle's Folly_ docked in a sleepy boatyard. The Impala hid a few miles northwest. Dean didn't like it, but it ensured a bit more stealth than parking at the docks. 

"I'm not staying here," Ellie repeated. 

"It's just until we finish – " Dean began. 

"No," Ellie cut him off. "You've done enough for me, you don't need to hide me, too."

Sam tried, "Ellie, demons are gonna be a problem – "

"Until you lock them away," she completed. "That's enough for you to worry about. Me? I'm going to visit my mom."

"Your mom?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, gimme a ride to the bus station?" she asked.

Sam and Dean silently agreed. "Fine, let's go," Dean said. 

"I'm gonna stay here," Sam said. "Start on a plan to get Cas back, and a plan to get to the Great Levers Kev mentioned."

"Right," Dean huffed as he headed out with Ellie.

 

Sam finished yet another demon bomb from their supply list. He desperately needed Castiel back. They had six demon bombs, which admittedly was more than they'd ever had before, but it wasn't enough to defend against a battalion of demons. Sam was certain Crowley had something up his sleeve, and whatever it was wouldn't be pleasant. They needed an arsenal. 

On top of that, Dean's general demeanor in the past day was surly, depressed, and withdrawn, and Sam knew why even if Dean would never admit it.

Suddenly Sam found himself affixed to the wall. 

"Hello, Mr. Winchester," Metatron said.

"Who – who're you?" Sam asked. 

"We haven't met yet, name's Metatron," the angel replied. 

"Metatron, the archangel?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, the guy you drop kicked to Naomi," Metatraon spat. 

"What?" 

"You're the one completing the trials?" Metatron asked. But it wasn't really a question.

"Yeah, you mind letting me down?" 

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Tell Naomi where I was!"

"I didn't know where you were!"

Begrudgingly, Metatron let him off the wall.

"What the hell?" Sam complained.

"Someone told Naomi exactly where I was. In a house full of sigils and hex bags and supposedly was completely blocked from demons, monsters, and angels."

"Damn it," Sam muttered. "Naomi must have Cas."

"Cas? Castiel?" Metatron asked.

"He disappeared two days ago, before I completed the third trial. We didn't know – we knew someone captured him. Apparently it was Naomi."

"You're sure?"

"Dean hates Naomi's guts. The only reason he hasn't killed her yet is that he's never had a good chance. He wouldn't tell her anything. I promise."

"You're being truthful. That's generally a bad sign," Metatron said.

"Tell me about it," Sam said as he pulled out his phone. "I'm calling Dean."

 

Lachesis popped into the meeting. 

"You should really knock, love," Crowley said. 

"Sorry, wasn't expecting, uh – " Lachesis began.

"Wier," the demon said. 

"Hello, Weir."

"How is our old friend?" Crowley asked her.

"Taking the bait. I've returned for additional instructions," she said. 

"Continue with you lovely mind games, doll," the King replied. "Wier and I are plotting the best way to dismember and disfigure the Winchesters."

"You boys get to have all the fun," Lachesis mused before she disappeared.

 

 **Grand Rapids, Michigan**. Dean scoped out a recently abandoned storefront and slipped under the roof. 

He wanted to deep fry Naomi in holy oil, but more than anything, he wanted Castiel back. 

He made quick work of the summoning spell.

A man appeared, surprised and confused.

"Who – you – " he sputtered.

"I'm Dean. Friends with Castiel," Dean said. "You're Nathaniel, right?"

The man nodded. 

"We met briefly. You helped Cas," Dean said. "I'm banking on that right now."

"What's going on?" Nathaniel asked.

"I need to spring Castiel," Dean said. "But my brother and I need a ride."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything for a solid minute, like he was thinking it over.

"Well?" Dean pushed.

"You are the second person to voice concern for Castiel," Nathaniel said. "But the first to offer help in rescuing him."

"Someone filled you in about Cas?" Dean asked, his heart beating faster.

"Yes. Someone who plans on freeing him."

"Freeing him and getting him out of Heaven isn't the same thing, is it?" Dean asked. "Otherwise this other guy wouldn't have reached out to you."

"You are keen," Nathaniel said. "I will give you and your brother a, uh, ride, as you asked. But I warn you, it's dangerous – "

"I don't care," Dean cut him off.

"And you will need to be prepared before we go."

"Fine, let's do that now. And quickly. Cas has already been gone for two days."


	3. Wild Side

The Winchesters had been to Heaven before, but at the time, they were dead. They had never experienced the area in their living bodies; indeed, Dean hadn't even considered the possibility of a problem arising.

Nathaniel had, though, of course. He prepared Dean with layers of near-blinding light. Sam didn't need to be prepped; the trials had apparently elevated his body to such a state that he could pass into Heaven alive without incident.

So Dean was more than a little wary when the three of them popped into the Garden.

"You must know that the Garden is filled with revelations," Nathaniel whispered. "This makes you exceptionally vulnerable."

"What kind of revelations?" Sam asked.

"Inspiration, soul reflection, anything lost returning to you," Nathaniel said, making less sense by the second. He motioned to his two human companions. He then added, "We must move quickly. The Fountain is at the center of the Garden, and we are far from it now."

"What happens with this revelation crap?" Dean asked.

"You will be vulnerable. Your soul is active but your body is idle."

"Like daydreaming?" Sam asked.

Nathaniel tilted his head, much like Castiel did when he was confused.

"Never mind," Dean said. "Let's go."

Heaven, to a soul, was a malleable entity. To a living body, however, Heaven was a fixed and terrifying jungle. Winds rushed through the foliage like fury; every plant seemed malicious and wiry. The temperature undulated between forty degrees and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and the general climate was all knives. 

Dean brandished an angel blade.

Sam pointed the way, and Nathaniel nodded. 

"You need to use special sigils up here," Nathaniel reminded them. 

"Look, you get us to the middle of this garden, Nate, and you zap yourself home, you understand?" Dean said.

"How will you get home?" Nathaniel asked.

"Cas," Sam replied. "He won't leave us high and dry."

Neither Winchester allowed Nathaniel to say that Castiel might be in no shape to escape or that he may not even be alive.

 

Naomi's torture chamber had several weak links; not one had ever been exploited before. Castiel identified three modes of egress, but the infernal chair that restrained him –

Click. Click. Click. 

As if his own thoughts propelled the release, Castiel's appendages were free. The chair's magic waned, as if someone had flipped a switch.

Cas felt someone nearby. Powerful, definitely high in the hierarchy. Gideon? Calcifer? Uriah? Cas couldn't be sure, but he waited until the prescience moved on before extricating himself from the chair and maneuvering out of the room.

He healed his vessel when he reached the Garden. Enough angels were around to mask his movements, but he wasn't capable of traversing the space between Heaven and Earth. Not yet. He needed someone to guide him.

"Castiel – " a familiar voice crept into his mind. "Castiel. This way."

His heart leapt. It was Joshua; he tended the Garden and had the power to teleport Castiel anywhere.

A rustle of wings. The glint of a blade. Castiel swiftly dodged the plunging weapon and dropped his arm, pinning it to his side. He bled. With a deft palm-heel strike, he threw his assailant away, keeping the weapon tucked under his arm. 

Then he ran.

 

The trouble with the garden, beyond the spooky plants, was that it had the traffic of Manhattan without the grid pattern. Nathaniel guided them through most of it without issue, since the majority of those in the Garden didn't cast a second glance. 

And of course, the number of people in the Garden concealed the use of angelic powers. That was to their benefit.

It happened to Dean first. A certain slant of light captured his eye, and he found himself pulled forward into a place with bleak light, whistling winds, and a sort of harshness that he hadn't seen in a long time.

Dean was in Purgatory. 

It was as if he had returned to the memory and stood outside it as an observer, but this wasn't how he remembered it. He felt safe. His body was warm, as if wrapped in a blanket, and his eyes were closed. 

Benny was asleep not too far from him. Dean had his fist wrapped around his weapon. Castiel stood watch over him in his dirty institutional cloths.

Cas draped his trench coat over Dean's body. He had been shivering, shaking, cursing, so his angel kept watch and comforted him. Dean didn't remember that. He couldn't remember that, because if he had, getting through the next day, surviving Purgatory, would've been impossible. 

Castiel leaned forward and whispered, "I love you."

"Dean."

The echo distracted him from his memory.

"Dean! Dean!" Sam cried.

Sam wasn't in Purgatory during this memory, why – 

Dean realized he was absent; so he shook himself awake, violently. 

He was standing in Heaven. He replied, "Sam?"

"What's up?" Sam asked.

"Revelation," Dean muttered. 

"Something lost has returned to you," Nathaniel nodded. "That's good."

Nathaniel idled. Dean and Sam chomped at the bit. 

"There is much more movement than usual," the angel said. 

"Isn't Castiel in, you know, Naomi's clutches?" Sam asked. "Shouldn't we be looking for him there?"

"No, he's not. It's all been set in motion," Nathaniel replied, in true cryptic angel form.

"How do you know that?" Dean asked.

Nathaniel did not respond.

 

Joshua waited for Castiel. He had occasion once before to meet the other angel and speak with him about their father, and he had enjoyed Castiel's company. Something about him felt so familiar, so true, and so earnest. Joshua wanted to meet him again, to see how he had healed in all his broken places.

Castiel was not far from the Fountain now.

In truth, it was less of a fountain and more of a waterfall, but Joshua remembered either way that the idea of water, of movement and fluidity, being the center of Heaven instead of still, unbreakable Earth was important. So he called the area the Fountain, after his father's wishes despite the misnomer.

 

The sigils Nathaniel had given the Winchesters successfully suspended angels, much like forcing humans into sleep. The trouble was, they had to rely on a tag-team trickery to trap the more vigilant angels that spotted them.

Sam had one particularly tall angel tailing him. He ducked under a weedy tree and then swerved toward his brother, who signaled for him to tuck and roll.

Once Sam flipped back onto his feet, his body became heavy. He lifted his eyes up and up – 

Sam saw himself standing outside of Bobby's old car yard. This couldn't be a memory he lost, because he remembered this day very well. It was the night after Dean and Cas disappeared with an exploding Dick Roman. He'd fled Chicago with a very busted Impala and laid low with Sheriff Mills in South Dakota as he repaired it.

"I don't know if anyone can hear me," Sam said to a sky full of stars, "but if there are any angels in hiding from the Garrison. Or any angels up there, this is about the Prophet, Kevin Tran. He's been kidnapped by Crowley, the King of Hell."

There was no response. Sam's entire body was lead.

"Dick Roman is dead, by the way. The big Leviathan leader. He's gone. But Kevin's been taken, and I can't help him anymore," Sam spoke up to the sky. "I can't help anybody anymore."

Sam watched himself speak to the sky. This was right before he hit the dog, right before he met Amelia. 

No response. For all Sam knew, no one was listening. 

"Screw you!" Sam yelled up to Heaven. "You and your big missions, your civil war, your apocalypse. My life was just – fine! Fine! Before you showed up! And now Dean's gone. Cas is gone! And your Prophet is gone! Because you can't do your damn jobs!"

Living this moment was one thing, watching the replay was too much. He wanted to stop it, but he couldn't. This wasn't a dream, after all. What was it?

"The Leviathan were never meant to return to Earth," a woman spoke. "My name is Naomi," she said. "And you are Sam Winchester."

Naomi? That couldn't be right. Sam hadn't met her, he only knew her from Dean's description.

"Naomi? Are you an angel?" he asked.

"Yes, and to be clear, we haven't responded to you yet because of your ribs. The sigils on them prevent us from being able to locate you, and you haven't slept. So how did you expect us to answer you?"

"You're angels," Sam replied quickly, making no attempt to hide his annoyance. "Angels. That's how."

"We're not omniscient or invincible, as you know," Naomi said. "And we have lost much of our family in the last few years. Between you and your brother and Castiel – "

"Cas died taking out Dick Roman. He died to protect Kevin Tran, the Prophet. He died with my brother," Sam replied. "You wanna play the blame game, Naomi, or save the Prophet?"

"I have already sent aid to the Prophet. He will be fine."

"Thank you," Sam said as he turned away.

"Sam Winchester," she said. He stopped. "I didn't come here to make you feel better."

He turned to face her. "Then why are you here?"

He blinked, and then he was in a too-white room latched to a chair. 

"Your brother might be in the wind, as you say," Naomi began. "But we have you now."

"What does that even mean?" Sam asked, jerking against the restraints.

"It means that we've got a plan for you," Naomi said. "And this time, you're going to follow it."

"Like I did last time?" Sam baited.

"No, not at all," she replied. "We're going to start with you forgetting all about Kevin Tran. And Dean Winchester. And Castiel. It's all out of your hands, Sam, all right? Now it's time for you to have a taste of the life you've longed for. All that is required is a few – adjustments."

Sam struggled against the chair, but his body compressed against the restraints. He looked at Naomi and said, "You know, Zachariah tried this on me – "

"Oh, I assure you, whatever he did, he never tried this," she replied. "Otherwise we wouldn't be here."

"What're you – "

"Don't worry," Naomi said. "Soon you'll find what you've always wanted. A normal life."

She picked up some kind of drill, and the sound of it echoed hugely in his mind - 

"Sammy!" Dean's voice echoed throughout his head, dampening the whine of the drill. "Sam!"

His eyes opened, which was strange because Sam didn't realize he had shut them. He was crouched over with Dean in his face.

Anger churned inside of him. Naomi had messed with his head. She coordinated his meeting with Amelia. She striped away the parts of Sam that were ready to search for Dean – 

Golden-white liquid dripped from Sam's eyes. Maybe that was because he was in Heaven, or maybe whatever Naomi put into his brain was now oozing back out. 

"She screwed with my head," Sam said as he captured the golden-white tears in his hands.

"Naomi?" Nathaniel asked. 

"Yes, she – she – " Sam tried to speak.

Dean pulled his brother to his feet. "Sammy, trust me, we'll hash this out later, okay? Right now, we need to focus on Cas. Make sure Nate gets out of here. And that angel we trapped, he's gonna be missed, so – "

Sam remembered. They had a mission here, and it had nothing to do with revelation.

Someone tackled Dean, throwing him into Sam. Nathaniel parried the assailant, doubtless another angel, and bucked him into the trap along with the tall angel.

"Quickly," Nathaniel spoke as he grabbed the Winchesters by their shoulders.

 

Castiel closed in on the Fountain, the center of the Garden.

"Castiel," Joshua said out loud. "Welcome home."

The other angel continued to bleed generously, and it was clear his vessel was as gravely wounded as his true-form. Joshua reached out to heal him.

"Stop," Naomi spoke. 

"I do not take orders from you, Naomi," Joshua replied. 

Several angels flanked Naomi. She signaled, and they set upon Castiel as she knocked Joshua down to the ground, unconscious. Joshua was powerful, but he never was a warrior.

"Castiel, your escape from custody only makes your execution more just," Naomi said as they closed in on him.

 

The screaming indicated that they were near Castiel.

"Nate, time for you to scram," Dean said.

"But, Castiel – "

"Go. Now," Sam said backing his brother up.

Nathaniel nodded and teleported away.

Dean motioned for Sam to take the right flank, and they moved in, knowing they were outnumbered. But by the time they cleared the creepy plants and reached the area of the Fountain, no one was around. 

Joshua lay unconscious yards from another body, savaged and disfigured. His blood seeped into the Fountain of the Garden. Dean wondered if all the water up here would turn red from it.

With that thought seared into his mind, he rushed over to the body he knew to be Cas's. Sam, however, stopped in his tracks, frozen by the sight of Castiel's corpse. 

Dean dropped to the ground and rolled Cas over. He pulled the angel into his arms and lap and checked for breathing. He checked for a pulse. He checked for any sign at all that his Castiel was alive. The vessel was cold, and Dean slowly lost his heat to the numbness welling up his spine.

Naomi appeared next to Sam, her anger unhidden –

Sam had already stowed his blade. He reached his hand out to her shoulder, a sign to stand down. What was left to fight for?

He whispered to her, "Give him a minute." 

Naomi holstered her surprise when she caught sight of Dean's visceral reaction to Castiel's spilled vessel. He entire body seemed to wring together. He placed his forehead on Cas's, his face screwed against the emotions threatening to spill out of him.

She had spent a substantial amount of time amassing information on the Winchesters. She knew they fought hard and that Castiel was forever loyal to them and their cause. But she never expected to see Dean Winchester mourn the loss of Castiel; she thought his response would be fury and explosion and violence. 

Instead, he subtly imploded with depression clinging to his every feature. Naomi had never expected to see Dean Winchester defeated. Yet, here he was, openly grieving the loss of an angel, of all things.

Was it possible that Dean reciprocated Castiel's feelings? It seemed preposterous to her.

After several heartbeats that extended into infinity, Sam spoke, "Let us take his remains."

"You mean the human vessel?" Naomi asked in a whisper.

"Yes," Sam said. 

"You need to leave – " Naomi began.

Some kind of hot, blazing angel arrow spun through two of the flanking members of her party. Naomi turned, her fury rekindled, but the new arrival moved first, pressing Naomi into the ground next to Joshua and knocking her unconscious.

Sam's eyes swept over her. The woman, who Sam assumed was an angel, was dark skinned with amber-colored eyes. The angel's vessel was small in every way: short, petite, and beautifully delicate.

That's all that Sam had time to render before she gently placed a finger on his forehead. He suddenly found himself back in the Impala.

Dean noticed none of this. It wasn't until Sam disappeared that he even looked up to see the new arrival. 

He didn't care. He didn't care about the angel posse closing in on him. He didn't care that a tiny Spice Girl angel handed them their asses and tossed their unconscious bodies into the awkward plants. He watched without really looking – 

She stood in front of him, and Dean's eyes met the amber-colored hue of the angel's. Her expression was sympathetic but oddly blank. She seemed so _familiar_.

Cynicism told Dean it was just wishful thinking, but he _recognized_ this angel. Beyond the skin, beyond the vessel, he could see – 

"Cas? Is that you?" Dean asked.

A smile spread across the angel's face. If doubt existed before, the smile obliterated it. It was Castiel.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said. Even in a female vessel, the voice sounded just like Castiel's always did. She leaned down and whispered, "Shut your eyes."

Assuming a moment of blinding angel-ness was soon to come, Dean obliged.

Cas healed Jimmy, the broken vessel, with a touch of his index finger. Cas saw Dean's injuries, most of which were minor, but he could tell that his soul ached. Clearly, Sam had completed the third trial. 

Castiel leaned in and placed a long, slow kiss on Dean's lips, healing the Hunter completely. The angel was unsurprised when Dean kissed back, reaching up to pull Cas into a deeper, more intimate kiss. Then –

Castiel's lips pulled away.

Dean opened his eyes and found himself behind the wheel of the Impala. Jimmy Novak's unconscious body was in the back seat, and Sam was pacing outside the car, cursing into his cell phone. 

"Cas?" Dean said, but he received no response.


	4. Nowhere

A nurse began, "Before you go, Mr. Smith, this other paper work needs to be filled out – "

"Yeah, all right," Sam said, taking the clipboard. 

"Of course, we'll let the doctors know," the nurse replied. She left the brothers with the unconscious body of Jimmy Novak. 

"What the hell?" Dean asked.

"Cas is gonna pop back into this body," Sam said. "But we need to keep it alive since Jimmy has obviously checked out."

Dean cocked his head. "You think?"

"This body is brain dead," Sam whispered. "What do you think?"

Dean never really considered Jimmy Novak. Not since Cas took his body as a vessel for the second time. 

"Can angels do that? Take a vessel that's checked out?"

"Why else would Cas send him back?" Sam asked.

"Why would Cas take a new vessel?" Dean asked. 

Sam shifted his weight. Dean honed in on his brother's uncomfortable movements. 

"Hey shifty," Dean said, "what's up?"

"Nathaniel mentioned something to me, after I had that memory come back to me about Naomi," Sam said.

"You said she screwed with your head," Dean said. 

"She screwed with my will, my personality, my life," Sam replied. "Like she did with Cas."

"Is that what that gold stuff was coming out of your eyes?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "Nathaniel said the only way for an angel to free himself completely from Naomi's tampering was to leave his vessel and heal it himself," Sam said dully. "Looks like Cas finally managed his escape."

Dean looked at his brother with concern. "Sorry, but, uh, when the hell did he tell you this?"

Sam didn't answer. So Dean stared at the man in the hospital bed. He looked tiny with all those machines and tubes around him.

"I don't want to leave him here," Dean muttered. 

"I know, but if we leave him at the bunker, Cas won't be able to get in."

Dean swallowed his pride and asked, "You said she messed with your head?"

"Yeah."

"What do you mean?"

Sam didn't answer.

"Is that why you didn't look for me when I was in Purgatory?" Dean asked.

"She made me helpless," Sam said. "Not feel helpless. Not seem helpless. She took my brain and roped off everything I had. You and Cas were gone. Bobby was gone. And – "

"Then you hit a dog," Dean continued. "And you finally had something in front of you that you could do. Take care of a pet, save its life."

Sam nodded.

Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "I gave you a lot of shit about that."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't know."

"Neither did you," Dean said. Then he suggested, "How about this? We kick Crowley's ass, then we find Naomi and deep fry her."

Sam smiled. "I'll settle for locking the gates for now. And getting Cas back."

"All right, let's kick it in the ass."

 

 **Ludington, Michigan**. Metatron paced the interior of the tiny ship cabin. He thought the cottage they set him up in was grim, but this topped that by a hundred times. According to the Winchesters, the Prophet lived here for months. 

Much had changed since he went into hiding.

The door swung open. 

"Where is Castiel?" Metatron asked.

"He's alive, but he had to take a new vessel," Dean replied. 

"Well, I should warn you, the angel that told me about your betrayal – "

Sam interrupted, "The angel who lied to you – "

"Wasn't an angel," Metatron cut him off. "I tracked her down to see what she was up to. Turns out, she's one of the Fates. I've bound her, not sure how long it'll last. Maybe a few days."

"Sorry, one of the Fates tracked you down and lied to you?" Dean asked.

"She's working with Crowley," Metatron said, annoyed at the fumbling idiocy of the two humans attempting to shut the gates of hell. "And she told me a few other things."

"I like where this is going," Dean said happily.

"No, you don't."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Naomi thinks her forces crushed the demonic soldiers on Earth," Metatron began. "She's very wrong. And you can't go around them."

"You're an archangel. Why don't you just come with us and do that nuclear angel-light thing?" Dean asked.

"No," Sam said.

"No?"

"We can't risk Metatron's involvement," Sam said. "Someone needs to look after Kevin."

"We've got – " Dean began.

"None of them are archangels," Sam cut his brother off. 

"True."

"So, you wanna know what they've got planned?" Metatron asked. 

"Everything you can tell us," Sam said earnestly.

 

 **Heaven**. Naomi and Gideon waited at the threshold of her office. 

"How many have returned?" she asked him.

"Most of the scouts have come back to Heaven. All of the cupids," Gideon replied. "There are still the advanced guardians out in play." 

"And what about those searching for Castiel?"

"None of them, yet," he said.

"I need you to reassign them," Naomi said. "Tell them to focus on Matthon, Nathaniel – "

"The other rogue angels?" Gideon asked curiously.

"Yes," Naomi said. "And Metatron. New orders: while the Winchesters attempt to shut the gates, we ignore Castiel."

"And if they succeed?"

"Whether they succeed or fail," Naomi said, "as soon as this is over, Castiel is marked for death."

"Yes, ma'am."

 

A young woman entered the hospital, ignoring everyone she walked by. Several nurses and orderlies approached her, but she did not respond. She went directly to the newly admitted, brain-dead man on life support. 

Two nurses, Zack and Jenny, surged forward to stop her, but the woman reached up and touched her fingers to Zack's forehead. He fell down, asleep, but Jenny and the other medical staff members thought he had collapsed. They swarmed around Zack, trying to help him.

The young woman thus continued, shutting the curtains around Jimmy Novak's vacant body. After a few moments, a light blazed up for several seconds. The woman glowed so white that the curtains seemed like lampshades. That whiteness moved from her body to his, and the man sat up in bed, his blue eyes clear and crystal. 

Every electronic nearby went haywire, sending the hospital staff into a frenzy of action. The wires and the tubes dropped away from the Jimmy Novak's body, and he stood up, whole and awake. The girl, on the other hand, seemed ill and weak.

Castiel oriented himself inside his original vessel. Jimmy Novak's body was familiar in a way that the angel hadn't expected. 

With that, Cas touched the young woman's arm, and warm healing spread to every inch of her body. 

"I owe you a debt," Castiel whispered to her. "I hope to repay it some day."

"You can," she said.

Castiel tilted his head.

"Drop me home," she said. "Then we'll call it even."

"But – "

"I mean it, Castiel."


	5. Can't Get Away

**Lebanon, Kansas**. Garth waited with the Winchesters, a little confused about what was going on. A woman in a beat up yellow bug pulled up next to his car.

"Charlie," Dean said happily.

"What's up bitches?" she said by way of greeting. She hugged Dean, then Sam.

"Charlie, this is Garth," Dean said. "Garth, Charlie."

"Howdy-do," Garth said. They shook on it.

"You said urgent, which usually means bad," Charlie said. "So, what's up?"

"Sam and I've gotta rough road ahead to seal up hell," Dean began. "It might be one big fight. It might take months."

"And if that's the case, we need someone to keep an eye on things," Sam said. 

"You mean like that guy you said's up in my boat now?" Garth asked.

"Yeah, Melville," Dean said, hating the stupid code name Metatron selected. "He can help protect Kevin."

"Okay, then why's he hidin' – "

"It's complicated," Sam said. 

"Charlie, we need you to look after this place for us," Dean said, handing off the key. 

Garth nodded. "So, what's the skinny?" 

"The skinny?" Dean repeated. "What do you mean?"

"On sealing up hell, obviously," Charlie said. "Gilda still owes us a favor, maybe she can help out – "

"Gilda? Who?" Garth asked. 

"We're dating," Charlie said happily. "She's a fairy."

"Really? That's great," Sam chimed in. 

"No, no, and no," Dean said. "Sam and I have a plan."

"We'll be, like, your secondary unit," Charlie said.

"Yeah, ya might need some backup," Garth pointed out, "on this whole shutting the gates thing."

"Hell no," Dean replied. "We need you guys back here, protecting people, in case things – "

"Listen up," Charlie cut him off. "Either we're your backup and you call us with updates, or we're your backup and we come in when the bugs we plant on you tell us you're in trouble. You're move, bitches."

"Charlie – " Sam protested.

"No," she cut him off. "This isn't something you just go do alone. We're helping. Even if it's just waiting in the wings."

"Hell yeah," Garth replied. "Chances are, you'll need some help with travel. You might git hurt, need someone to carry you home."

"Fine!" Dean exclaimed.

Castiel appeared suddenly. Sam and Dean were unsurprised, but Charlie and Garth both jumped.

There was a long, drawn-out moment as Castiel and Dean stared into each other's eyes, captivated. There was nothing inherently sexual about it, but Charlie quickly cottoned on and followed Sam's lead by looking away. Garth, on the other hand, continued to stare in confusion.

"Charlie, Garth," Sam said to break the tension. "Castiel."

"Hello," Cas said to the others.

"So, what is the plan?" Castiel asked.

 

Crowley marshaled forces around a broken, beaten castle in Normandy. It had been abandoned for hundreds of years, mostly because supernatural events constantly flared up and caused mayhem.

It seemed so dignified. Rock and mortar. Blood and bone. Demonic omens, black smoke. Crowley took position overlooking the courtyard ahead of him. Soon the Winchesters would attempt to traverse the space between earth and the plane where the Great Lever stood, and they had to cross this courtyard to do it.

 

Sam made up a stupid excuse about setting up a secure walkie-talkie line to draw Charlie and Garth away and let Castiel and Dean have a moment.

Dean felt nervous, ridiculously so, and it had nothing to do with their plans to charge down hell. By Cas's even more stiff than usual demeanor, the angel was also anxious.

"Dean," he said, "I – am unsure how to say this."

"You don't have to," Dean replied. "I mean it, you don't. I, uh, I'm... me, too."

Cas took the hunter's hands in his own and rubbed his thumbs along the back of Dean's palm. Neither one of them could be sure how long they stood there, not speaking any of the words thrashing inside their heads, begging to be released. 

"We are going into battle," Castiel said softly, after what felt like eons. "I want all three of us to survive."

"Me, too," was all Dean could think to say.

 

Sam and Dean loaded up supplies and tucked things away in pockets. They couldn't carry their large duffel bags; they wouldn't have a lot of wiggle room. 

"These pendants should protect and promote healing," Castiel said, returning with two very long, very ugly necklaces. 

Dean dropped his around his neck. 

"No," Cas said. "You wear them around your waist."

"Hell no," Dean protested. 

"It's easier for an enemy to cut them off if – "

"No!" Dean barked. 

Sam had no trouble wrapping the necklace around his waist and tucking it into his pants. Why not? They needed everything they had now. 

"These are also for you," Castiel said, handing off angel blades to both of them.

"What about spray paint? For sigils?"

Castiel showed the four canisters in his pockets. "I'll handle putting them up."

Dean handed off a stencil of a sigil designed specifically for powering-down demons. "Just put this down and spray over the whole thing. Makes it go faster," he explained.

"Thank you," Cas said.

"What else?" Sam asked.

"We have one more stop," Castiel said, "in Portugal."

"What? Why?"

"There is a site that produces very special, very powerful holy water," Castiel said. "It receives its essence from the – "

"Cliff notes version, Cas," Dean said.

"What?"

"How is it powerful?" Sam asked.

"It possesses special properties. It drives demons out of their possessed bodies and back to hell. Normally this feat is considered minor, since you have the means to kill demons – "

"But now we're locking the gate on them," Dean nodded, not quite finishing his thought. "Great, let's go grab some." 

Castiel nodded and touched their foreheads. Suddenly, they were outside a small, unremarkable creek. 

"This is it?" Sam asked.

"Yes, it is," Cas said as he began to fill a flask.

"Figured you'd show up here," someone said.

Dean and Sam both drew their blades. 

"Oh, there's no need for that," the same someone said.

"Who the hell are you?"

"James," he said. "And believe it or not, we're here to help you."

"Help us?" Dean asked.

"That's right," James replied.

"Out of the goodness of your hearts?" Sam inquired. 

Sam's eyes swept over the people behind him. There were literally dozens of them, an army.

"'Course not," James said. "We're here to help you because it's high time we took our cut out of the King of Hell's hide."

"Sorry? You wanna mess Crowley up?" Dean asked. "Why'd you wait?"

"Last time demons messed with us, they drove some species to the brink," James said.

"Species?" Sam said. "Let me guess, you're a vampire?"

"Smart boy," James said.

"Hell no," Dean griped.

"I believe they're telling the truth," Castiel said. "Those two djinn were captured by Crowley at one point."

"You recognize them?" Dean asked.

"I recognize their scars," Cas said.

They both had long, spidering lines of scar tissue. 

"How did you know where to find us?" Sam asked. 

"I sent them," Matthon said. The other angel appeared from the crowd and pushed ahead. "Castiel."

Cas and Matthon shared a moment. 

"You think you can help transport us?" Cas asked. 

"I know I can," Matthon said. "And I'll draw the angels away from your trail."

"Thank you brother," Castiel said.

"So, are we good to go?" Sam asked.

Dean took Castiel's hand in his. Several moments passed by, and all Dean wanted was for them to be done. To be home, together, and alive. That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing huge. But they couldn't drop everything and leave. It was now or never.

Sam smiled at his brother's small sign of affection for Castiel. It was a start at least.

"Ready or not, we've headed into war with worse," Dean said, looking over the monster mash in front of him.

Sam said, "Let's go and take down hell."

**Author's Note:**

> The episode title and its chapter titles are all derived from the Foreigner song "No Hiding Place."


End file.
